Community building is an essential aspect of any successful charity or non-profit organisation. Creating and nurturing an engaged online community help attract interested stakeholders, give you a strong foundation of supporters, enhance your donations and grow your organisation much faster than what would have been otherwise possible.
In this post, we explore eight effective community-building strategies that will help your charity or non-profit organisation grow and thrive.
Organising Exciting Events
Holding events that people love to participate in is a fantastic way to create a sense of community around your charitable cause. These events can range from charity runs and walks to fundraising galas and volunteer days. Make sure to promote these events on your charity website and social media channels to attract a broad audience. In case your charity website does not see many visitors, send us a mail at [email protected] and we will help you understand how undertaking SEO for your charity website may be the best thing you do for your organisation.
Collaborating with Other Organisations
Partnering with schools, colleges, other charities and non-profits is a brilliant way to spread the word about your cause and expand your community. You can leverage each other’s networks and resources by working together to reach a larger audience. This will help you and make a more significant impact than doing it yourself.
An example to explain: suppose your charity creates and sells paper products to generate donations for your charity mission objectives. Partnering with a school or a college during their fetes or annual events will help you reach a crowd that is more interested in what you do. You may not only sell products but also get volunteers to help you in your work.
Hosting Expert Interviews and Webinars
Conducting live interviews or webinars with experts in your field can help showcase your organisation’s knowledge and credibility. These events can be shared on your YouTube or Spotify channel, your charity website and social media platforms where you have a presence. A larger reach brings in new supporters and encourages existing ones to tune in, ask questions and engage with your cause.
Expert interviews also bring a more balanced perspective into a field. As you would have seen across media and social media channels, there is a dearth of facts. Opinions rule the roost and create more ruckus than they should. Experts who bring in a dose of clarity and insight based on years of experience and know-how help facts become more credible and do your charity a world of good.
Sharing Video Case Studies and Testimonials
Showcasing the real-life stories of people whose lives have been positively impacted by your non-profit can help humanise your cause and foster a deeper connection with your supporters. Sharing video case studies and interviews on your charity website and social media channels allow you to demonstrate the tangible impact of your organisation’s work.
These can be used in a variety of ways to promote your charity or non-profit brand. You can use them on your website, social media channels, ad campaigns, events you attend, etc.
Engaging Supporters through Regular Chats or Forums
Creating spaces for supporters to connect, such as WhatsApp or Telegram groups, Facebook forums, or Twitter chats, can help foster a sense of belonging and engagement within your community. Regularly participating in these discussions and answering questions can show supporters that their voices matter and their opinions are valued.
You can use the power of these platforms to increase your engagement. Most of these platforms have live streaming, Q&A sessions, quizzes, opinion polls and other ways to reach out and connect. They allow your supporters to contribute to your cause, thereby promoting your charity among their networks.
Harnessing the Power of Social Media
We have covered it enough already in the earlier sections but it deserves its own section due to its power to connect and its underutilisation by charities and non-profits. Social media platforms are a powerful tool for community building. They allow you to reach out to a larger community and engage with supporters from around the world. Sharing compelling content, responding to comments and encouraging user-generated content helps you create a vibrant online support community around your cause.
Implementing Interactive Content
Interactive content, such as quizzes, polls and surveys help drive engagement and foster a sense of community among your supporters. A study by Kissmetrics discovered that interactive content, such as quizzes, receives an average share rate of 1,900 times, significantly higher than the average of 727 shares for static content. On top of that, interactive content generates 2x more conversions than passive content.
Incorporate sensible targeted interactive elements into your charity website and social media channels. Focus on topics that elicit participation and sharing. The younger-age community is more prone to sharing than those in their 30s and beyond. Find ways you can engage teenagers and the college or fresh-out-of-college audience and you have a strong tool to get more proactive supporters.
To Conclude
Adopting these community-building strategies will help your charity or non-profit organisation create a thriving online community that is passionate about your cause and eager to contribute. Start implementing these techniques using small steps and you will soon build enough momentum to take your charity places.
